Will you give heed to a success story or a failure story? If Jeff Bezos would have failed at making Amazon, would you listen to what he would have to say? 

No. Definitely not. Right? 

That’s natural human nature. We are all somewhere attracted to successful people and their stories. That’s what makes failure so hard to digest for all of us. 

If you’re a teenager in India (or even an adult) your worth is decided by the competitive exams you crack (or the salary package you get). 

When you fail in life, your family, friends, and even distant relatives start judging you. Yes, there are supportive families, too but that’s an exception. 

Failure is not the end but a gateway to a better personality 

Does this mean failure is the end of your life? Should you stop chasing your goal if you fail once? 

NO. 

Failing is a sign of your effort. When you fail, you learn what ‘not’ to do next time. And that’s how you improve in life.  

Life is an interesting school. It teaches you by taking exams first and if you fail in that exam you’re rewarded with a powerful lesson. 

On the contrary, if you keep succeeding in everything you do, you’d never learn a thing in life. Smooth seas don’t make good sailors. That’s true for life, too. 

Repeated and consistent success fuels a person’s ego while failure prepares a person for life. 

Wear failure as a badge of honor and fight off the life battle with pride 

People won’t let you forget that you failed. They’d keep reminding you that you’re less worthy. So, instead of shying off and hiding failures in your closet, wear it with pride. 

Never try to justify why you failed. Instead, tell them what you learned from that failure and how you’ll be using your newfound knowledge to your benefit. 

I know, it’s easy to say but hard to execute, especially when you fail in academics (and you’re expected to give an explanation to parents). 

So, let me tell you a story – my real story of what happened when I failed the first time in school. 

Class X was harsh for me as a student. I failed several tests in school and even failed my mathematics pre-boards in class X. 

Before that, I had never flunked ever (and was a decently average student). Naturally, my self-confidence was at an all-time low. 

I was ashamed and even feared facing my friends, family members and stopped talking to my parents too for days. I couldn’t decipher was to do. 

I thought my father would become harsh and would push me to do better. But instead, he was very supportive. He asked directly, if I understood the subjects, or not. I feared telling him that I know nothing. But I opened up slowly and he just asked if I’d sail through the boards. 

After that, I stopped shying off my marks in subjects I feared (and didn’t understand) and would instead concentrate on the subjects I was good at. And I passed my boards and left mathematics forever. (of course, with my father’s consent and support) 

I took Commerce stream with computers (a very unconventional decision) but I did good with my life (at least, I feel). 

After that first shock of failure, I understood that failure is temporary, chasing your goal and ambition is a permanent side hustle. 

I faced several rejections and failures in the past decade, but never did I stop moving towards my goals, and that’s what keeps my life exciting and fulfilling. 

The essence is not in sitting back, dejected after you fail, but rather gathering all your weapons and fight back with all your strength. 

Remember, nothing can take your dream away from you, if you choose to fight off a fierce battle with your head held high.